Trust Your Innersense™ with Joanne Starkman

Turning Hollywood Magic Into Human Connection
LaQuita Cleare, CEO of Clear Communication Academy and Hollywood-trained storytelling expert, joins Joanne to explore how powerful stories build trust, loyalty, and connection—in the boardroom and beyond. With roots in Chicago and a love for matcha and tango, LaQuita shares how her creative past inspires her corporate teachings, helping leaders and teams break free from dry data and...

A Father’s Quiet Leadership
 In this deeply personal solo episode, Joanne reflects on an unexpected moment of clarity during a recent leadership training that brought her father, Bernard Krieg, to mind. With warmth and nostalgia, she invites you into stories from her childhood—growing up with her dad as her elementary school principal—and the subtle, powerful ways he modeled leadership through action, humor, and unwavering supp...

Rooted in Purpose and Clean Beauty
Joanne sits down with Lindsay Dahl—author, activist, and Chief Impact Officer at Ritual—for a heartfelt conversation about what it means to truly care for ourselves and the planet. From her early days in Minnesota to her current life in California, Lindsay has helped shape the clean beauty movement from the inside out. Together, they explore the ripple effects small brands like Innersense™ can...

Uncovering the Heart of Leadership
In this energizing episode, Joanne sits down with Cynthia Cleveland—a trailblazing CEO, brand builder, and longtime advisor to both Joanne and Greg in their Innersense™ journey. With decades of experience leading billion-dollar brands, Cynthia shares how she unexpectedly found herself in the C-suite and why psychology, intuition, and tools like Myers-Briggs have been central to her success. If...

Tackling Plastic With Purpose and Heart
Joanne welcomes Svanika Balasubramanian, co-founder and CEO of Repurpose Global, for a powerful and eye-opening conversation about plastic pollution, social justice, and what it really means to lead with intention. You’ll hear how a college thesis led Svanika to landfills across the globe and sparked a movement rooted in human dignity, environmental justice, and systemic change. From faci...

A Love Story Rooted In Passion And Purpose
In this special episode, Joanne is joined by her husband, co-founder, and CEO of Innersense™ Organic Beauty, Greg Starkman. Together, they share their personal and professional journey—from Greg’s early days sweeping salon floors and learning from industry icons to the serendipitous way their paths crossed and ultimately intertwined. You’ll hear how Greg had his eye on Joanne from the ...

A Chance Encounter Sparks a Movement
Renata Helfman shares how caring for her grandmother during cancer treatment revealed a gap in emotional support for patients. As a working makeup artist, she began volunteering at Cedars-Sinai, offering beauty services to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. What started as simple acts of care grew into Lipstick Angels, a nonprofit now serving major hospitals nationwide with beauty and ...

Rediscovering Self Through Holistic Haircare
In this soulful episode, The Curl Maven Gabriella Strano shares her natural hair journey and how she embraced her curls after years of trying to fit in. Don’t mistake her for just another influencer—Gabriella is a true curly hair expert with years of hands-on experience and deep knowledge. She’s also an educator, content creator, consultant, and designer-maker, offering empowering in...

The Magic of First Impressions
Joanne begins the episode with the charming story of meeting Libbee Smith —dressed as a black cat, bowls in hand, ready to bring magic into the room. That first encounter set the tone for a beautiful connection rooted in energy, intuition, and trust. Libbee opens up about her early sensitivity, shaped by a unique and challenging childhood, and how it became the foundation for the intuitive work sh...

From California Dreams to New York Stages
Salisha Thomas shares how a chance encounter with a stranger changed the course of her life and launched her into the heart of New York City. What started as a childhood dream quickly turned real—leading her from Disneyland performances to Broadway runs in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and Once Upon a One More Time. Her story is filled with bold moves, big energy, and a deep belief...

Family Legacy and Entrepreneurial Roots
In this episode, Joanne chats with Stephanie Luster, president of Essations Incorporated—a multifaceted manufacturer serving professional stylists and consumers in the textured hair space. Stephanie reflects on growing up in a family business, watching her parents build from the ground up, and how those early experiences—and doing the small things first—laid the foundation for future succ...

The Power of Inclusive Hair Education

Joanne welcomes renowned hair educator and DEI advocate Keya Neal, founder of Texture vs. Race and Color Culture, for a powerful conversation on the evolution of inclusive hair education. Keya shares her unexpected path from journalism to the beauty industry and how her early experiences in both Black and white salon spaces inspired her to build a multicultural hair color curriculum. Her program...

A Journey Back To the Curl

Casey Voss didn’t grow up loving her curls—in fact, she did everything she could to get rid of them. It wasn’t until her daughter’s natural red curls began to bloom that Casey had a profound realization. This sparked a return not just to her natural hair, but to a deeper sense of self and purpose. In this episode, she shares how the rejection of her own texture turned into a calling to help others embrace ...

The Diagnosis That Changed Everything
What if your instincts as a parent clashed with every professional opinion you received? Jessica Connor recounts the intense and isolating journey that followed her daughter Ava’s birth, leading to an unexpected diagnosis of Williams syndrome. Her story raises essential questions about maternal intuition, medical advocacy, and what happens when the life you imagined shifts in an instant.

Fin...

The power of mindful beauty
Joanne welcomes salon owner and kindred spirit Wafaya Abdallah for a soulful conversation on beauty, inclusivity, and the deeper meaning behind their work. Wafaya shares her journey from immigrating as a child from Egypt to creating a curly-hair sanctuary in Maryland, guided by a lifelong passion for justice, healing, and self-expression.

Integrating wellness and community
Wafaya opens up about ho...

“Everybody has bad days. Everybody has rocky roads. But it doesn't last forever. It's temporary... You just got to be yourself at the end of the day. Your weird self.”

Meet the Birch Sisters

Victoria and Alexandria, the dynamic duo behind the Birch Family, share their journey as sisters, creators, and advocates for Williams Syndrome awareness. With honesty and humor, they reflect on Alexandra’s early diagnosis and how their...

The heart behind the family business
Joanne sits down with her son Max for a rare, candid conversation about growing up inside Innersense™. Max shares childhood memories of working in the warehouse, his surprising path into the company’s finance team, and the moment he realized the brand was blossoming into something big.

Lessons in resilience and identity
Their conversation dives into the challenges and joys of working in a...

Finding Connection
Joanne welcomes the team behind the Starry Eyed Podcast—Joel (podcast producer), Jen (CO-Host), and Brendan (Co-Host)—for a heartfelt conversation about the Williams syndrome community. With vulnerability and humor, they share personal stories of diagnosis, discovery, and the powerful support they’ve found through the Williams Syndrome Association.

Voices That Matter
Joel and Jen talk about the podcast’s o...

Meet Morgan Jane Starkman
In celebration of Williams Syndrome Awareness Month, Joanne welcomes her daughter and Innersense’s Director of Joy, Morgan Jane Starkman, to the podcast. Morgan opens up about how she joined the family business during the pandemic and found purpose in connecting with salons and greeting coworkers daily. Her role at Innersense is more than a job—it’s a source of joy and community, and her enthusiasm for...